Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Over the past two decades, there has been a significant change in the Canadian workforce: the number of workers over the age of 55 has more than doubled, and 50% more women are employed. At the same time, global economic demands and the need for 24 hour services has also lead to a steady growth of workers employed in schedules outside of regular '9 to 5' hours. The combination of all these factors has lead to a dramatic increase of older adults and women who currently work night shifts. Working shifts for prolonged periods can lead to sleep impairments and substantial aging of the brain. These effects can continue long after workers stop night shifts and may take years to return to normal. For older workers, who may have spent a majority of their careers in nonstandard schedules, this may be especially problematic. Combined with the natural biological aging of the brain, shift work may accelerate some aspects of cognitive decline, hampering worker safety and productivity in the later stages of their careers, and affect their health and well-being in retirement. For women, the effect of shift work on cognitive decline may be similarly accelerated. It has been suggested that compared to men, women may spend more time on family responsibilities, like child care, and that the added demands of working nights may affect sleep health and cognition. However, this still remains to be explored in scientific studies. This proposed research builds upon my prior studies on shift work, gender and work injury. National Population Health Survey data will be used to examine if lifestyle and work-related factors, such as child-minding and occupation, may impact sleep differently for men and women who work shifts. I will also explore gender differences on how sleep affects thinking and memory, and if age may explain or enhance these differences. Study findings will help identify if additional safety precautions or education should be considered for specific groups of workers.